Gallbladder Surgery Procedures

The gallbladder is an organ that stores your body's bile and releases it into the small intestine to aid in digestion. Some people develop small rock-like deposits in their gallbladders known as gallstones. If enough gallstones accumulate, you may experience intense pain as the stones block the bile flow. As a result, many people with gallstones must undergo an operation known as a cholecystectomy to have their gallbladders removed. Doctors also use surgery to treat other gallbladder conditions, such as gallbladder cancer.

Before Surgery

• Preparation for gallbladder surgery requires you to clean out your intestines so the surgeon has better visibility during the procedure. Your doctor may ask you to fast the day before surgery or restrict your diet to clear fluids. To clean the intestines, you take a medicine in the days leading up to surgery. On the day of the surgery, you may need to wash yourself with antibacterial soap to prevent infection during surgery. If you take blood thinners or other medications, your doctor may temporarily halt them to reduce the chances of complications such as bleeding.

During the Surgery

• Depending on your age, health and the surgeon's recommended procedure, you either undergo open or laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic surgery is used to avoid the potential complications and risks of open surgery. To access your gallbladder via laparoscopy, the doctor uses a scalpel to make four minor incisions in your abdomen. The cuts allow a small video camera access to your insides. The camera shows the surgeon the gallbladder; this helps guide the doctor as she reaches the gallbladder through the abdominal incisions. With surgical tools, the doctor removes the gallbladder. While you are still under general anesthesia, the doctor uses imaging techniques to ensure that gallstones haven't got into other regions of the body, such as the bile ducts.

  Open gallbladder surgery is used for people who require larger incisions, and others who have had previous abdominal injuries or surgeries that left them with scar tissue. During open gallbladder surgery, the doctor cuts open the abdominal region below the right ribs. The doctor spreads open the incision to gain sighted access to the gallbladder, which he removes. Once removed, the doctor sutures the cut.

  Both surgery methods require general anesthesia. While a doctor usually knows whether or not you require open gallbladder surgery before the procedure begins, sometimes the doctor doesn't recognize the unsuitability of laparoscopic surgery until the surgery has already begun. In these cases, the doctor switches to open surgery mid-operation.

After Surgery

• Your recovery time and average post-operation hospital stay depends on what method the doctor used for surgery. People who received laparoscopic treatment rest for several hours after surgery as nurses administer food/drink intravenously. Most laparoscopic patients go home the same day of operation as long as they are able to walk on their own and eat/drink without pain or complications. People who require walking assistance or who need additional observation may stay in the hospital overnight. Once you are discharged from the hospital, rest and drink plenty of fluids. Recovery from laparoscopic gallbladder usually lasts a week or so.

  Since open gallbladder surgery is a more major procedure, you need to stay in the hospital for a few days to ensure you remain infection-free and have the strength to walk and eat/drink on your own. The recovery time for open gallbladder surgery is much longer than that for laparoscopic surgery. Most people need a full four to six weeks to recover from open gallbladder surgery.